(STL.News) Everyone has a boss. Whether you are an employee or the owner of your own business, you have someone who is telling you what to do. And it can be tough – especially if that person doesn’t know how to manage people well. That’s why this article contains tips on how to become a better work manager and leader.
Here’s a great collection of tips to help you reach your goal of becoming a better work manager or leader:
Be a good communicator
As a work manager/leader, it is important to be able to communicate properly with your employees. You should always try and set time aside each day for updates or one-on-one meetings, but you can also do this while working in the office by having impromptu conversations about their progress, and where they are at that moment. Don’t just talk to your employees during the day, but also find a time for them to come and give you feedback as well.
Be a good planner
As a good manager/leader, you need to be organized and able to plan. Planning effectively will allow your employees more time for themselves outside of work because their projects are organized properly so they know exactly what needs doing each day at the office.
When planning, start from the beginning with all tasks needed until completion as well as who is responsible for what. Start small and build up, giving your employees time to learn how you work and get used to the system before moving onto more complicated projects with deadlines that need sticking too.
Manage time well
Being a better work manager doesn’t mean that you need to be perfect in this category, but it is important to use your time wisely. Don’t spend too much time surfing social media or watching videos when there are other things that could be done like meetings with employees or making phone calls.
Keep improving yourself
Continuously improving yourself is key to being a better work manager. Learn new skills that can help your business grow and keep up with the latest industry trends so you know what’s happening in your company as well as within your industry.
You can also improve yourself while connecting with your workers too by learning a new language. Improving your language skills by learning a popular language like Spanish is a great way to communicate better with your workers.
Know your strengths and weaknesses
To be a better work manager, you need to know what gives you an edge as well as where you can improve. For example, someone who is great at delegating tasks may not realize how good they are at it until they try to take on every task themselves – this will only cause problems in the workplace.
Value feedback culture
As a leader, it’s important to value feedback from your employees. Whether you are asking for their opinion or they offer up some constructive criticism on how you can improve as a manager, make sure to listen and take action if needed.
Be open-minded
Being an effective work manager isn’t always about making the right decision every time – sometimes you just need to go with your gut. However, it’s important to be able to hear others’ opinions and take them into consideration before making a final decision.
Use a people-centric approach
As a better work manager, you need to have an employee-centric approach. Make it your duty to ensure that every single one of your employees is being taken care of at all times and not just when they are in trouble or need help – this means having open communication with them regularly too.
Don’t micromanage employees
Micromanaging employees is one of the worst mistakes that a work manager can make. When micromanaging, you are basically telling your employees “I don’t trust you to do this on your own” every time they ask for help on an instruction. This will cause more harm than good in the long run because it makes them feel incompetent.
Avoid being a micromanager by trusting your employees to do their jobs without you getting in the way. If they have questions, be there to help them out but don’t step on people’s toes when it comes to working tasks that are clearly not for you.
Acknowledge success
When an employee gets a task done or does something right, make sure to acknowledge it. This will encourage them to work harder in the future because they know that their hard work is being noticed and appreciated by you – this leads to positive results and better productivity overall.
A good way of acknowledging success is by telling your employees when they do a good job or a thank you. You can also recognize their success by giving them more important tasks in the future that will help them grow and develop as an employee too!
Bottomline
To be a better work manager or leader, you need to show your employees how they should act in the workplace. Try the little things — show them what being on time for meetings looks like and stand up when speaking with others rather than sitting at your desk all day long. Works like magic.
To be a better work manager, you need to show your employees what good behavior looks like in the workplace and how they can achieve success by acting properly towards others as well as completing their tasks on time and without needing much supervision from you.